Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) Chief Raj Thackeray courted controversy after his Hinduphobic jibe on the recently concluded Mahakumbh that saw crores of Hindu devotees take a holy dip in the Ganga and Triveni Sangam.
Raj Thackeray criticised for Hinduphobic comments on the Kumbh Mela and Ganga Water
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) President Raj Thackeray has sparked controversy with his recent remarks mocking the ritual bathing during the recently concluded Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj. Speaking at the Nineteenth-anniversary celebration of MNS in Pune’s Pimpri-Chinchwad, Raj Thackeray questioned the practice and called upon people to differentiate between faith and superstition.
He said, “People should break free from superstition and use their minds. There’s a difference between faith and blind belief.” He further ridiculed devotees seen bathing in the holy waters at the Sangam — the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati — saying, “On social media, I see people scrubbing themselves and bathing. The Covid pandemic ended just a few years ago; people wore masks for two years, and now they are bathing there. Who would want to drink that water?”
Raj Thackeray also mentioned that senior MNS leader Bala Nandgaonkar had brought him a small kamandal of Ganga Jal from the Kumbh, but he refused to even touch it. “Bala brought water from the Ganga and told me to drink it. I flatly refused,” Raj said. He further commented, “Since the time of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, we’ve been hearing about cleaning the Ganga. Yet, no river in the country is clean. We worship Ganga as Ganga Ma, but the reality is different. In foreign countries, rivers are clean and crystal clear.”
His comments drew sharp criticism from leaders across the political spectrum, including those from parties considered close to him.
BJP leader and state Disaster Management Minister Girish Mahajan responded, “People have faith; one should not hurt the sentiments of others.” BJP national spokesperson Nalin Kohli added, “The Kumbh is a centre of faith for crores of people. Such remarks deeply hurt those who revere it.”
Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam also condemned the statement, saying, “This is an insult to Ganga Maiyya. People bathe at the Sangam out of devotion. Does Raj Thackeray want to oppose Hindutva now?”
Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anand Dubey demanded an apology from Raj, stating, “Sanatanis have deep faith in Maa Ganga, Maa Yamuna, and Maa Saraswati. Raj Thackeray has no right to insult the beliefs of Hindu devotees by calling Ganga Jal undrinkable.”
Despite projecting himself as a proponent of Hindutva in recent years and maintaining proximity with the BJP, Raj Thackeray’s remarks have stirred strong reactions from both political leaders and spiritual figures, raising questions about his positioning ahead of the upcoming BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) elections.
His remarks have sparked a backlash from BJP leaders, particularly MLA Nitesh Rane, who accused Thackeray of targeting only Hindu practices while remaining silent on those of other communities. Reacting strongly, BJP MLA Nitesh Rane said, “Raj saheb has incomplete information about the cleanliness efforts under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. No one has the right to insult Hindu Dharma in this way.” He further accused Raj Thackeray of selective criticism and challenged him to question practices followed during other religious festivals like Ramzan and Bakri Eid.
Rane remarked, “Why are all questions always directed at Hindus? During Bakri Eid, when goats are slaughtered and polluted water is released, no one raises concerns. On Mohammad Ali Road during Ramzan, after eating and drinking, garbage is thrown on the streets — yet no one talks about it. Does Raj Thackeray have the courage to raise such issues too, or are criticisms only meant for Hindus?”
The row has intensified the political discourse, with Raj Thackeray’s comments drawing strong reactions from across party lines, as debates around faith, pollution, and selective targeting continue to escalate.
Raj Thackeray’s history of political flip-flops
Raj Thackeray has a long history of flip-flops and switching sides for political relevance. It is worth noting that despite his frequently changing ideology, or due to it, he has failed to achieve electoral success. His party’s electoral fortunes dwindled to the extent of drawing a blank in the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly Elections. MNS now is at risk of losing recognition and the party symbol.
CPCB report on water quality
Raj Thackeray should read the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) report. CPCB has informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that the water quality of the Ganga and Yamuna rivers during the recently concluded Maha Kumbh 2025 in Prayagraj remained within permissible limits and was fit for bathing. The findings were based on a comprehensive statistical analysis conducted by the CPCB and submitted in a detailed report dated 28 February, uploaded to the NGT’s website on 7 March.
The CPCB clarified that due to variations in individual water sample readings—taken from multiple locations and on different dates—each sample only reflected a momentary snapshot of river conditions. Hence, statistical analysis was necessary to present an accurate and holistic picture of the overall water quality.
Monitoring of the rivers began on 12 January and was carried out bi-weekly at multiple points along both rivers, with a special focus on auspicious bathing days. Water samples were collected from five locations along the Ganga and two along the Yamuna. Key water quality parameters, such as pH levels, dissolved oxygen (DO), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), and faecal coliform (FC) count, were monitored during 20 rounds of testing until February 22.
The report highlighted significant variability in readings — both across different locations on the same day and from the same location on different days. This fluctuation was attributed to several factors including upstream human activities, river current dynamics, sampling depth, time of collection, and seasonal changes.
To ensure a more accurate assessment, the CPCB adopted a statistical approach by evaluating the median values of these parameters instead of relying on isolated data points. This method helped mitigate inconsistencies and presented a more reliable overview of water quality during the event.
Interestingly, in an earlier report submitted on 17 February, the CPCB had flagged that some locations in Prayagraj had not met the primary water quality standards for bathing due to elevated faecal coliform levels. However, the latest statistical analysis indicates that, overall, the water quality throughout the monitoring period remained within acceptable limits for safe bathing.
The NGT is scheduled to hear the matter further on 7 April, where CPCB’s findings and recommendations will be discussed in detail. With millions of devotees having taken a holy dip during the Maha Kumbh 2025, the CPCB’s assessment provides much-needed reassurance about the safety and cleanliness of the river water during the grand religious gathering.
Cleanliness at Mahakumbh and Post-Mahakumbh cleaning efforts
Not only were trash skimmers deployed to rid the river of debris but Hindu organizations came together after the conclusion of the event to clean up and restore Prayagraj.
As the divine echoes of the Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 gently fade from the banks of Prayagraj, the spirit of seva (selfless service) continues to shine bright. Over 660 million souls gathered at the Triveni Sangam, drawn by the sacred call of faith — and now, in the aftermath, begins another kind of sacred journey.
With hearts full of devotion and hands ready to serve, thousands of volunteers from ISKCON, VHP, RSS, and ascetic sadhus have stepped forward to restore the purity of this tirtha bhumi. Their tireless efforts embody the eternal truth — where there is bhakti, there must also be Kartavya.
The cleanup is no less monumental than the Mela itself. The sprawling tent city spread across 4,000 hectares, had sheltered millions under its fabric of devotion. Around 150,000 toilets and urinals were set up, alongside 10,000 garbage bins — each a silent sentinel of cleanliness amidst spiritual celebration.
For 45 days, sanitation workers upheld dharma in a different form — managing nearly 600 tons of waste each day, ensuring the sanctity of the sacred grounds remained untouched.
Now, as the pilgrims return to their homes, the final act of this divine drama unfolds. A 15-day mission to dismantle and cleanse, guided by meticulous planning and unwavering dedication, continues to honour Ma Ganga and the holy confluence.
This is not just a cleanup — it is an offering. An offering of gratitude, responsibility, and reverence — where devotion meets discipline, and faith flows seamlessly into action.
Why Hindus cannot trust Thackerays
However, both devotion and discipline are beyond the understanding of Raj Thackeray and his equally seasonal Hindu cousin Uddhav Thackeray. Despite all his show of Hindutva, Raj Thackeray mocked common Hindus who bathed in the Triveni. It is fine if Raj Thackeray didn’t want to attend the Mahakumbh or partake the Gangajal, he is well within his rights to do that both as an Indian and a Hindu, but he had no right to mock the common Hindus of this country.
Hindutva is not limited to ‘permitting‘ hassle-free Eid celebrations, supporting Nupur Sharma, and playing Hanuman Chalisa in reply to ‘azaans.’ A Hindutva that mocks the beliefs of crores of Hindus is nothing but a hollow show aimed at capturing Hindu votes. Raj Thackeray is as untrustworthy as his cousin Uddhav who gave up Hindutva to ally with the Hinduphobic Congress in his greed for power.
Constructive criticism and mockery are two different things that Raj Thackeray’s followers would also do well to learn. The crores who participated in the Mahakumbh and bathed at the Triveni, as well as the Ganga and Yamuna rivers, were ordinary Hindus, not necessarily affiliated to any political party and probably cutting across party lines. If the likes of Raj Thackeray cannot appreciate Hindu Dharma and the Parvs associated with it then they can at least desist from making a mockery of Hindu beliefs.
A word of advice for Raj Thackeray – try and fix your ideology which will help your party and may be fetch you some votes!
Raj Thackeray, Uddhav Thackeray frequently speak negatively about Hindu religion specific things. And seeing their utterances over time, you can easily observe that they betray a pattern of deliberate ignorance, malice and hate for Hindu religions.
They display a profound ignorance of Hindu/Shraman philosophies and these religions’ ancient unbroken traditions. But irrespective of that, their criticism of Ganga Jal, Cow urine etc. by itself should be responded to for their substance of criticism ( yes scientifically!), irrespective of their “tone” of criticism. In my view, senior MNS leader Bala Nandgaonkar should have arranged for lab testing, the Ganga Jal of the kamandal that he brought for him from the Kumbh, after being castigated.
Resorting to the totally inexcusable defensive arguments like “insulting the beliefs of believers” or “hurting the sentiments of believers” is no defense at all. In fact, these are extremely cancerous arguments, and you can easily apply these patterns for extremely disturbing Mohammadan scriptures and practices! These arguments are nothing but devious obscured allegations of blasphemy. Hindus probably use these expressions in such a widespread manner, simply out of mental laziness and/or retardness of their expressive capabilities.
Take for instance the most popular act of observing silence, with introspection for self-improvement in the practice of ethics ( karma), and ending the observance with a symbolic immersion and rising again in Triveni Sangam on Mouni Amavasya. Tirthankar Rishabhdev broke his long vow of silence on Mouni Amasvasya day. And he belongs to pre-Rigvedic times, and this Mouni Amavasya is being observed since ancient times. If these Thackareys chose to have purposeful ignorance of our culture’s philosophical and ethical contributions and instead label it as “superstition”, they should be questioned on their knowledge and rationalization behind their abuses. Resorting to arguments like “hurting sentiments”, “insulting beliefs” take us to the similar path that pious jihad and ghazwa oriented Mohammadans take – to the route of blasphemy accusations and terror.
By the way, their mind would not even dare to think about quality/composition of Aabe ZamZam of Kaaba, or insulting a holder of it’s water without testing, or ablution hygiene in mosques, or camel urine drinking endorsed by Mohammad and his followers. And if forced, their pants will probably get soiled in trepidation! We don’t need terror, but we should not glorify “Hindu tolerance” either which only encourages the criminally irresponsible behavior of Thackareys by them becoming sidekicks of Mohammadans.